What is a Good Refresh Rate for a 4K TV?

So you want to purchase a new 4K TV and you don’t know where to start? well you have come to the right place. Manufacturers like to confuse you into purchasing their TVs with the use of different buzz words. One of the most important features of a TV is the refresh rate. Everyone has seen the refresh rate stickers on new TVs, and I bet that 90% of people have no idea what they mean. Today I will answer 2 big questions, What is TV Refresh Rate?, and What is a Good Refresh Rate for a 4K TV.
After reading this article you will know more than most TV salesmen. My goal is to enable you to make a more informed decision next time you have to buy a TV.

What is TV Refresh Rate?

To put it plain and simple, TV Refresh Rate is the number of times a TV can display an image in 1 second, or In other words, how many times in a second can a TV “Refresh’ an image. Frequency is the unit of measurement for Refresh Rate, this measurement is displayed as Hertz and usually displayed abbreviated as Hz.

The terms above aren’t in relation to refresh rate, they are in relation to the image processing used by each manufacturer. This processing can improve the overall image quality but can’t improve the refresh rate.

I will give you a golden rule to live by, no consumer TV in 2019 has a refresh rate higher than 120Hz. If a TV displays any marketing saying otherwise, it is a flat out lie. An easy way to determine the true refresh rate of a TV is to look at the specification list, it will either be 60Hz or 120Hz regardless of what the marketing says. So which refresh rate is better?

60Hz vs 120Hz

TV performance at 120Hz is inherently better, it can refresh an image twice as fast as 60Hz and you would think that would be enough to win this versus, but it’s not. Most media we consume on a TV isn’t produced in 120Hz so the performance benefits from 60Hz to 120Hz is almost unnoticeable. If you did find some media produced in 120Hz it would obviously look better with a 120Hz TV, but that media is rare at this point in time.

The only media that consistently benefits from a 120Hz display is games on PC or Xbox One. Games on these platforms are created with a FPS ( frames per second ) that takes advantage of 120Hz. You can really notice a difference in image quality versus a 60Hz display.

Price is another important factor, budget TVs are almost always 60Hz and it’s not until you enter the high to medium price range that you will find native 120Hz TVs.

What is a Good Refresh Rate for a 4K TV?

There are a number of articles and reviews out there that are very confusing and don’t necessarily answer this question. The simple answer depends on what you are going to be using the TV for. Are you just going to watch TV shows and movies, or are you going to gaming on it 9 times out of 10.

Watching TV Shows and Movies – 60Hz is fine at this point in time. Most content is created and optimized for 60Hz, 120Hz would just be overkill.

Gaming 90% of the time – Look into a 120Hz TV with a smaller display size to have the optimal experience.

Summary

To make the best purchases it is important to do your research first. All consumer purchases are individual and you don’t want to be fooled by savvy salesmen into buying something you really don’t need. Buying a new TV can end up being one of the most expensive purchases you make all year, so it is important that you make the right purchase.

It is important to know what is a good refresh rate for a 4K TV and hopefully, this article has given you enough information to make the best decision for you.

About The Author

Long story short I am a self-proclaimed Tech Head, I love almost anything with a smart feature and Google Assistant is my best friend. I run mobilemarv.com and I aim to be your one stop shop for anything Tech, Smart or Mobile

2 Comments

I am quite interested by 4K TV, but I was not quite sure about the specs.

So, I am very glad toread your post, it gave me more insights. My Tv will just be for watching TV shows and movies mostly. So, I guess the 60Hz ill work perfectly. But what if I need to use it as a computer screen, will it be good?

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“When you buy something from this website, I may receive an affiliate commission.
These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products.
My reviews are based on my personal own experience and research.
I never recommend poor quality products, or create false reviews to make sales.
It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.”

Affiliate Disclosure

“When you buy something from this website, I may receive an affiliate commission.
These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products.
My reviews are based on my personal own experience and research.
I never recommend poor quality products, or create false reviews to make sales.
It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.”